Fastener end terminal



Dec. 29, 1964 J. E. BURBANK FASTENER END TERMINAL Filed Feb. 1s, 1964 www,

United States Patent() This invention relates generally to zippers of the type employing continuous plastic filaments. Such filaments may be of the elongated coil type or the filament may take some meandering form which is not Strictly a coil, but

which presents open loop portions extending from the edge of a fabric Stringer on which the filament is mounted. For the sake of brevity, these zippers may be referred to Simply as the coil filament type.

The attachment of top and bottom stops, or other terminal members such as pins or pin holders for a separating end type zipper, has always been a difficult problem in zippers of this type. The last bit of coil at the end must be secured in such fashion that it cannot back out or be twisted free of the Stringer. Attempts have been made to enclose the coil in molded materials by squeezing the lower portion of the coil together or when this is not done, the result is too big a body of material to be practical.

An object of my invention is to provide an improved terminal member for a coil filament type of zipper which will permit a properly shaped small cross-section without deforming the coil or without enclosing it.

Another object is to anchor the lower portion of the coil to the terminal member without relying on a fusing or welding action and it may be here noted that a satisfactory weld is difficult to produce because the filament of the coil will have been subjected to dyeing or other treatment which prevents it from fusing with the molded terminal member.

Another object is to provide a terminal member which has a secure but flexible connection with the lower portion of' the coil, that will not prevent the interengaging of such coil with a mating coil all the way to the end.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawing, I have shown for the purpose of illustration, one embodiment which the invention may assume in practice. In the drawing:

FIG. l iS a front view with parts in section of a coil filament zipper with a separating end connection, embodying my invention;

FIG. 2 is a similar view on an enlarged scale showing the lower portions of the coil filaments interengaged;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section on line 3 3 of FIG. 2 through one of the stringers;

FIG. 4 is a vertical section on line 4 4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a cross-section on line 5-5 of FIG. 2 on a smaller scale; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of one of the terminal members.

I have shown my invention as applied to the terminal portions of a separating end type zipper, and the advantages of the invention are especially important in this assembly.

There are indicated two fabric tapes or stringers ILS to which are secured the interengaging elements 9-10. These elements are of the continuous coil filament type inwhich the loops are somewhat flattened or elongated. A cord 11 extends through each coil, and between the cord and the heads 12, are open spaces whose width is indicated in FIG. 3 by the letter a. This width is more than enough to accommodate the heads 12 of a companion Stringer when the two stringers are interengaged.

3, i 62, l Patented Dec. 29, 1964 Each of the filaments presents a Series of loops which terminates short of the end of its fabric Stringer. It will be noted that the inner portions of Such loops are substantially filled by the cord 11 andthe remaining portions, which may be termed open portion, extend outwardly even beyond the edges of the tapes '7-8. The slider for operating the zipper is indicated by the numeral 13.

The molded plastic terminal member at the bottom of each Stringer has a body portion 14 of an elongated pin shape which is of no greater cross-section than the series of loops on its Stringer. The one shown on the right can be threaded through the channel of the slider. The terminal member 15 shown on the left in FIG. l can extend into the bottom of the slider.

A `box-shaped retainer element 16 is a common form of a U-bent metal piece having a channel 17 in which the terminal member 15 is tightly gripped and a channel 18 for loosely receiving the pin-shaped body portion 14 of the other terminal member.

In order to securely anchor the bottom portion of each terminal member to the bottom portion of the series of loops, an elongated finger 19 integral with the body portion 14, extends along the edge of the fabric Stringer through the open portions of a plurality of the loops, preferably at least three.

, These fingers are formed simultaneously with the molding of the terminal members, which is done preferably while the series of loops are interengaged as shown in FIG. 2. This can be accomplished by shaping the molds so that they fit tightly over the loops at the lower end, end if desired, an end wall can be provided in the mold to prevent the material flowing farther than desired. In this manner, there will be formed transversely extending bumps 20-21, each of which engages between the loops as seen in FIG. 4. The exact size and shape of these bumps may vary somewhat depending on the temperatures and pressures used in the molding process, but in no event are the loops fully enclosed, and the finger is of Such small cross-section that it is relatively flexible. This permits the bending action required for the assembly of the parts as seen in FIG. l. On the front face of each of the fingers, there will be recesses 22 for accomv modating the head portions of a companion Stringer, and

with this construction, the Series of loops can be interengaged all the way to the end,

Referring particularly to FIGS. 4 and 5, it will be seen that the tape Stringer 7 lies underneath the series of loops and at the bottom end, is held by the mold so that it is centered with respect to the coil filament. Trans- Verse reinforcing tapes 23 may also be used and the body portion of the terminal element completely surrounds the edge portions of this fabric assembly. The terminal members are firmly anchored to the tapes in the molding operation because the plastic material will adhere to and penetrate the fabric material.

The coil filaments are secured to the fabric stringers by a double line of stitching 24 extending through each coil along the opposite sides of the cord 11 and secures the coil firmly to the face of the tape 7 or 8.

What I claim is:

1. In a zipper fastener, a fabric Stringer, interengaging means of the coil filament type carried by the Stringer and presenting a series of loops, each with an open portion having a head extending beyond the edge of the fabric Stringer, said series of loops terminating short of the end of said Stringer, and a terminal member of molded plastic material having a body portion molded around the edge of said Stringer immediately below said series of loops and a flexible finger integral with said body portion extending along the edge of said Stringer through said open portions of a plurality of the loops, said finger having transversely extending bumps engaging between said plurality of loops. Y

v2. In a zipper fastener, the combination defined in claim 1, wherein said iinger is long enough to extend through at least threeA of the loops. 3'. In Da zipper fastener, the combination defined in claim` 1, Vwherein said finger is provided along its front face with recesses to accommodate the forward portions of the loops on a companion Stringer. n

-4. Inra zipper fastener, the combination dened in claim 1, wherein said body portion is in the shape ofV an elongated pin having no greater cross-section than the' overall cross-section of said series of loops.

5. A zipper fastener of the separating end type wherein each of two fabric stringere is constructed in accordance with claim land wherein a box-shaped retainer element is secured to one terminal member, said retainer element providing a channel for receiving the other terminal member.

References Cited in the leof this patent UNTED STATES PATENTS 

1. IN A ZIPPER FASTENER, A FABRIC STRINGER, INTERENGAGING MEANS OF THE COIL FILAMENT TYPE CARRIED BY THE STRINGER AND PRESENTING A SERIES OF LOOPS, EACH WITH AN OPEN PORTION HAVING A HEAD EXTENDING BEYOND THE EDGE OF THE FABRIC STRINGER, SAID SERIES OF LOOPS TERMINATING SHORT OF THE END OF SAID STRINGER, AND A TERMINAL MEMBER OF MOLDED PLASTIC MATERIAL HAVING A BODY PORTION MOLDED AROUND THE EDGE OF SAID STRINGER IMMEDIATELY BELOW SAID SERIES OF LOOPS AND A FLEXIBLE FINGER INTEGRAL WITH SAID BODY PORTION EXTENDING ALONG THE EDGE OF SAID STRINGER THROUGH SAID OPEN PORTIONS OF A PLURALITY OF THE LOOPS, SAID FINGER HAVING TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING BUMPS ENGAGING BETWEEN SAID PLURALITY OF LOOPS. 